The constellation Scorpius lies on the Milky Way and is filled with stargazing targets.
In mythology, Scorpius was the name of the scorpion that the Earth goddess Gaia sent to kill Orion by stinging him on the heel. It is for this reason that Orion and Scorpius are now separated from each other by being on opposite sides of the sky. Do not get the constellation's name confused with Scorpio, which is a word used in another kind of mythology - astrology.
Scorpius is a Zodiac constellation that can be seen in the summer sky low along the southern horizon for observers in the United States. Situated on a rich Milky Way field, Scorpius even looks somewhat like a scorpion with its curving tail and hooked claws. It is located between the constellations of Sagittarius and Libra and below Ophiuchus.
Stars
The brightest star in Scorpius is Antares, a red giant that has an orangish hue. Its name dervies from the fact that it looks similar in color to Mars, also known as Ares - thus the Anti Ares. Antares is a magnitude 1.06 star that marks the head of the Scorpion. Antares lies 604 light-years away.
The second brightest star in Scorpius is Shaula. Shaula marks the stinger on the Scorpions tail and shines at magnitude 1.62. It lies even farther away than Antares, at 703 light-years distant.
Below, or south of Shaula, is a similarly bright star at magnitude 1.86: Theta Scorpii. It lies 272 light-years away. Tracing the line of stars and moving to the midpoint of the Scorpion's body, you will find a double star called Mu1 and Mu2 Scorpii. Separated by five arcminutes, the stars are magnitude 3 and 3.5. The stars are just a line of sight double however, because the first lies 822 light-years away while the second lies 517 light-years away.
Back up in the claws of Scorpius are a couple stars of 2nd magnitude. Marking the tip of the lower claw is magnitude 2.89 Pi Scorpii. Marking the tip of the upper claw is magnitude 2.29 Delta Scorpii. Just above it in the same claw is Beta Scorpii, a double star separated by just 14 arcseconds. The brighter member is magnitude 2.56.
Clusters and Nebulae
Two globular clusters that are also Messier objects lie near the claws of Scorpius. M4 lies just over a degree west of Antares. M4 is a massive grouping of stars that circles our galaxy. At magnitude 5.9, this globular cluster can be seen with binoculars. Lying four degrees above it on the upper claw is M80, a magnitude 7.2 globular cluster. It is bright enough to be seen in binoculars from a dark-sky site.
Two open clusters that are also Messier objects lie near the scorpion's stinger. Five degrees north of Shaula is M6, a magnitude 4.2 object sometimes referred to as the Butterfly Cluster. Four degrees southeast of M6 is M7, an even brighter magnitude 3.3 cluster. Both clusters can be seen without optical aid from a dark-sky site, but binoculars enhances the view. Binoculars may reveal the 5.5-magnitude nebula around M6.
Running roughly northeast to southwest between M6 and M7 is a line of five slightly fainter clusters. With binoculars or a telescope, sweep this region and see which ones you can pick up. Four degrees west of Shaula is the 13th magnitude Bug Nebula. This object is a challenge for the largest telescopes. But just two degrees to its lower right is a magnitude 5.4 cluster with nebulosity known as NGC 6281. The inside of the tail region of Scorpius is thick with binocular and telescopic gems, if you just take the time to sweep them up.
